Colour Grading 101 – Primary Color Correction in Baselight Student

‘Baselight Student’ Part 9: Getting started with Primary Corrections

It has taken us a while to get to this point! But now, you understand the Baselight Student user interface and project setup mechanics well enough that we can take our first steps in actually color grading our images (using Mixing Light’s Practice Project, Mother Died). One thing I want to point out here, are the mouse gestures you’ll use when color grading.

Why you should consider using a tablet and pen with Baselight Student

As you watch this Insight, you’ll notice the circular mouse motion for adjusting color wheel parameters. Keep in mind that for most Baselight users, a pen and tablet is the standard interface for controlling the mouse. The circular gestural control you see me use is a bit weird on a mouse but feels incredibly intuitive on a tablet. Since we’re using Baselight Student, there’s a high likelihood you’re not using a control surface, and my recommendation is to try and get your hands on a tablet when learning to use Baselight Student – it really does speed up your color grading operations .

Learning goals for this Insight

I’m excited to help you take your next step into the world of Baselight colour grading! In this Insight you’ll learn:

• The top-down layer order of Baselight grading layers
• How to add, remove and bypass grade layers/strips
• How to reset individual tools and entire grading layers
• How to use the Base Grade and Video Grade tools
• The difference between Baselight’s Flare, Dim/Light adjustments
• Using gestures when color grading
• Discuss essential hotkeys and mouse techniques to grade quickly and to navigate your layers
• When should you add a new layer to your ‘color grading stack’?
• Using the Matte Operator layer and how they relate to Grade Layers
• Navigating between grade layers and matte operation layers using the keyboard

Let me know how it goes for you!

Now that we’re finally talking about color grading in Baselight Student, share with us your experiences! Is something tripping you up? Let me know and we’ll see if we can get you going.